Silent Hill: The Arrival
by Zubzero123
Summary: A retelling of the first Silent Hill game. I hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Harry stirred. He tried to move forward but the seat belt held him back, digging into his neck. The crumpled bonnet of the jeep obscured the view out of the smashed windscreen, the crash must have been bad. He felt the biting chill of the air on his face as he regained his sight. The drivers door had been completely torn off, lost in the thick fog that surrounded the car.

Cheryl! His head snapped to his right when he remembered his daughter. The seat was empty. The door open.

Panic flowed through Harry like a drug and he fumbled for the clasp on the seat belt. Wrenching it free, he fell out of hole in the red jeep onto the cold concrete. On hands and knees he crawled round to the front of the jeep, leaving long trails behind him in the thin layer of snow. To his relief, his 8 year old daughter Cheryl had not been thrown from the car, as he first feared, but panic soon set back in as she was still nowhere to be found. He tried hard to stand, his right leg screaming with pain, his chest feeling tight and sore.

He looked around, squinting through the fog. The front of a row of terraced houses was barely visible and the bleakness of them was depressing. Even in the dark of evening, not one house light or street lamp could be seen. Harry felt alone in the middle of a cluttered residential area. The town felt somewhat strange to him.

The jeep had to be left as Harry hurried away from it down the street, trying hard to pierce through the endless fog. The sound of his dragging leg and the rustle of his brown jacket flooding his ears. He tried to pick up the pace and soon seemed to run off most of the pain in his leg. Running down the street, a small figure through the fog ahead jolted him to a stop.

"Cheryl!" He cried out through the mist. Cheryl's bob haircut and blue dress could barely be made out through the intruding grey filter that consumed everything around him. The figure walked on, seeming to ignore Harry's calls, and turned to disappear behind the thick concrete wall of a garage.

"Cheryl! Come back! Where are you going!?" Harry's voice boomed against the gloomy walls of the surrounding houses. He hurried on after the defiant figure, following the tiny footprints around the corner of the garage. He spun, head darting around the floor. The footprints stopped! As if the figure had just vanished. Goosebumps covered Harry's skin and the hairs began to rise on the back of his neck.

A small high pitched squeak, followed by a clatter. The sound of somebody passing through a gate was obvious and was Harry's only clue as to where the figure had gone. He ran down the alley, residential garages facing him on either side as he went, dark blocks in a grey world. The alley ended and a small gate emerged through the fog. The gate made the same series of sounds it had moment before as he closed it behind him.

"Che..." He felt sick. What the hell is going on here? So much blood. Puddled on the floor and spattered up the garage wall. The remains of a skinned dog lay at its centre. Harry covered his mouth and nose as the putrid smell flooded his senses. Who would do such a thing? He could not take his eyes off the sight before him as he edges his way to a small alley ahead. More footprints. The trail brought him back to reality and he darted down the dank corridor ahead. The alley was cramped and seemed to get tighter as he turned left and right and left and right. The layout seemed to make no sense, but he soldiered on. An upturned wheelchair halted his progress somewhat as he passed, the wheel spinning slowly almost unnaturally.

He looked ahead. Another turn down a nonsensical maze lay before him, before he was plunged into darkness. It was as if someone had turned off a light switch and turned the world off for a second. He was becoming acclimatised to these strange experiences and knew he had to press on. Pulling out a lighter, he turned the wheel and a flame danced before him. The dank walls were bathed in colour. It's odd, he thought as he gazed at the lighter, he didn't even smoke.

The alley opened up ahead. The dark orange of the walls turned to black as he approached the small courtyard hidden between the buildings. Rusted chain metal covered walls of the courtyard, with razor sharp barbed wire threading the top. He walked further into the courtyard, shaking with fear. The far wall gradually brightened as he got closer. What he would have given to be back at the car with Cheryl now.

The back wall was bathed in a flickering orange glow. A shape was on the wall ahead, hard to see from the dancing flame. What was it? A body! Harry jumped back with such urgency the flame went out. Shuffles emerged all around him, getting louder and louder. He fumbled with the lighter. The darkness enveloped him as he started into nothing. He pressed hard on the wheel, his finger burning with pain, and the flame re-emerged. The body was hung to the barbed fence, crucified. Brown and bloody, bloated from decomposition, Harry spun away from it. He needed to get out. The entrance to the winding alley behind him was filled with bodies. But they were... alive. Shuffling towards him with violent jerking movements. It was as if the gates of hell had opened before him. The 3 foot high monsters shambled towards him, bloated and clumsy. Harry screamed and dropped the lighter. Darkness.

Harry sat up, sweating but cold. He looked around. No bodies, just tables and chairs. No chain fences, just regular concrete walls. No alleyway, just the breakfast bar. He awoke in the diner, dazed and confused. He looked out of the window through the rusty metal shutters. Fog still engulfed the world, much to his despair. What is this godforsaken place?

"Hey." Harry spun to locate the source of the female voice. A blond woman, maybe early thirties, stood before him with a wary smile. She wore a light blue blouse, the gold of her police badge obvious on her chest. The motorcyclists trousers and helmet under her arm jogged Harry's memory. We passed her on the way here, he thought, just before...

"Are you okay?" She sat across from him in the booth, "You were dreaming."


	2. Chapter 2

She was rather lovely to Harry, and it took him a moment to answer her question.

"I feel like I've been run over by a truck." Groaned Harry, rubbing his throbbing forehead and with his right hand as he slumped over the table. The biting chill that felt so vivid in his dream was still there, making him uncomfortable. "But I'm ok, I guess."

"Glad to hear it" She said, leaning back and resting against the booth. She frowned, "You from around here? Why don't you tell me what happened."

Harry didn't feel like being interrogated. He held up his hands, "Wait a second. I'm just a tourist. I came here for a vacation with my daughter..." Cheryl! Suddenly the horror of his missing child jolted through him again. "Have you seen a little girl" He said, desperation evident in his voice "Just turned seven... short... black hair?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, no. Actually, the only person I've seen in this town is you." She tilted her head, quizzically.

Harry looked outside again. The same soft snow and thick fog blocked the world across from sight, just like in his dream. How did he get to the diner from his car? What is this place?

The policewoman brought him back to reality. "What's your name?"

"Harry... Harry Mason." He said shakily. The lifeless diner gave him the creeps.

"Cybil Bennett. I'm a police officer from Brahms, the next town over. The phones here are all dead, and the radio too so I need to call in for reinforcements." Harry had enough problems of his own, he needed to find his lost daughter in this ghost town. Sharing a blank stare with Cybil, he shot up out of the seat and walked hurriedly towards the door, grasping the cold brass handle of the diner's exit.

"Whoa, hold it!" Cybil bolted upwards, "Where do you think you're going?"

Harry turned to face her, not needing the trouble of making enemies with an officer of the law. "My daughter... I've got to find her."

Cybil walked towards him. "No way! It's dangerous out there. Just look around you!" She could see Harry growing impatient.

"In that case, I need to find her now! Cheryl's my little girl and she's out there somewhere. I can't just leave her by herself!" Cybil sympathised with the suffering man. He was going to go out into this hell hole whether she liked it or not.

"Have you got a gun?" She asked.

"No." Harry let go of the handle, realising he could have a possible ally in this strange place.

Cybil lifted her trouser leg. A small six shot revolver was strapped to her leg, along with the standard issue handgun attached to her belt. She ripped open the cover on her leg and took out the weapon. Looking hesitant, she tapped the gun in her hand a few times before speaking, "Take this." She handed over the weapon reluctantly, but he needed some sort of defence in this place. "Let's just hope you don't have to use it." She could see Harry fumbling with the gun, he didn't look like the type who was skilled with firearms. She quickly gave him some basic training.

"Now listen to me, before you pull the trigger, know who you're shooting. And don't do it unless you have to, I don't know if anyone is still here. And don't go blasting me by mistake! This fog can play tricks on you. Got it?" Cybil was stern but Harry wanted to get out of there before she changed her mind.

"Yeah. Thanks." Harry felt more comfortable with the weapon and put it in his pocket. Cybil put on her motorcycle helmet and fiddled with the strap under the chin.

"You'd do best to stay near by, Harry. I'll be back with help as quick as I can." She tapped the top of the helmet after securing it and left the diner, the bell ringing on the door was a harrowing sound. Harry was alone again, just like in his dream.

Cybil giving him a gun made him uneasy. A police officer just gave him a deadly weapon, she would have only done that if this town was as dangerous as she said. He took a quick look around the back of the breakfast bar and in the back rooms, finding some food and a box of rounds in the drawer of the managers desk. Feeling a little more confident, he began towards the door of the diner to find Cheryl.

_Bzzzzt, bzzzzzzzzzt._

Harry jumped back in surprise, hand on the pocket that contained the gun. The radio on the counter burst into life, static ringing around the empty diner. Why did that happen? He walked over to it to shut it off, the loud noise making him uneasy.

_CRASH!_

The large bay window of the diner shattered, showering Harry in shards of glass. Harry hit the deck, fumbling for the weapon in his pocket. Crawling behind the counter and gun firmly in his hand, he braved a look over the top to see what had happened. He suddenly wished he was back in his dream.

It looked like something straight from a horror film. Flapping its bat-like wings, an ugly face stared at Harry through bright red eyes. It's long, fleshy beak drooling thick saliva. It was a dark pink all over, the colour of flesh and had short stubby legs that were not dissimilar to those of a... baby. The thing snapped open its beak and let out an ear shattering, unearthly whine. It darted towards Harry as he lifted the weapon. He had to duck again as it swooped past. He thought about what Cybil said, "Before you pull the trigger, know who you're shooting." There was no time for that here, and this was not a matter of who, it was a matter of what. He could hear the wings flapping in the dining area once again, circling, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Harry darted upwards, having a clear shot at the whining hell spawn, and pulled the trigger.

_BANG!_

It was the loudest sound Harry had ever heard. It was so loud, he couldn't hear anything else, but a faint ringing. The gun had almost came out of his hand from the recoil, and the barrel smoked as he looked towards his target. The thing was still flapping, furiously now as Harry saw the large rip that had appeared in its right wing. The whining was louder, more horrific now as it circled unintentionally with it's wound. Harry did not hesitate and pulled off another show. The sound again felt like an explosion in his skull, and the creature took a hit to the torso, splatting red ooze all over the back wall. The thing let out a final scream, and fell to the ground, twitching and gargling on it's own blood. Harry approached the dying creature, making the occasional attempt at flight, but failing and moving a couple of inches across the floor, spreading its entrails. Harry's boot came down on the creature's head, making it still. The radio ceased to make noise.

Harry stumbled out of the large hole created in the diner's window, his ears on fire. The cold hit his face hard and he looked around, squinting through the fog once again. He looked back into the diner at the small radio, lifeless on the counter. It had saved his life, pulled him away from the window. He did not believe in lucky possessions, but anything would do in this god forsaken town. He stumbled back inside, picking up the radio and placing it in his inside pocket. In a small tourist advertisement laid a small map of Silent Hill. He opened it and looked for his location. The town was large but seemed easy to navigate, straight streets and clearly marked points of interest. He saw the diner, a small block on the edge of town. To it's right was a residential district, and a street of garages... and a small alley. Just like the one in his dream! Could it be the same place? Was it even a dream after all.

A chill set in Harry's spine, but it was his only hope of finding Cheryl. He walked outside, glass crunching beneath his feet. It was only a dream, he told himself, it will be fine. But that... thing, in the diner, that was definitely real. He battled his mind as he walked down the street, following the wall as the fog was even thicker than he remembered.

He came to the intersection, long dark blocks of garages, leading into greyness. Just like his dream. He stood for a moment. Fear gripping him. And on the floor, tiny little footprints in the snow.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry stared down the row of garages, fear gripping him. Footprints disappearing into the fog ahead of him, he knew they were Cheryl's. This was exactly like his dream. Would he say the horrific sight of the dead dog? The old wheelchair? The crucified corpse and those... things? He had to go, he had to find his daughter.

He set off, his footprints looking like a giant's next to Cheryl's. The same concrete wall appeared through the mist as he ventured forth. The same gate on his left hand side he had heard Cheryl enter so vividly in his dream. He lifted the clasp on the gate and walked through, gun in hand and eyes darting around, looking for any signs of blood.

Nothing.

It was the same area as in his dream, but no dead dog and no spattering of blood. Harry felt relief, but was still unnerved how his dream had predicted the exact layout of the town. He looked ahead, the entrance to the alley staring back at him, looking as uninviting as ever. The footprints led through, as before and the memory of how the world had turned pitch black as he had entered scared him. He pressed on.

He turned right down the alley, expecting the same nonsensical layout he had traversed in his head. But his journey was short. Trash, concrete and beams of wood blocked his way, as if the building above and caved in. He wasn't getting past and neither did Cheryl, as the footprints ended before it. The bright white of a torn piece of paper stood out from the dull colours of the trash and Harry could see something written upon it in rough crayon.

Cheyl's sketchbook!

She had loved to draw and doodle. She would take the sketchbook everywhere with her, and her favourite assortment of coloured crayons. This vacation had been no different, crayons and sketchbook in hand in the car as they had travelled. Harry's memory was returning of the drive. He could see the Cybil on the motorbike in his mind. The headlights illuminating the road ahead. The dark green sign saying "Welcome to Silent Hill" and... a girl?

Bzzzzzzt. Bzzzt.

The radio burst into life, bringing Harry back from searching his memories. He heard shuffling. Feet on gravel, dragging. It was coming from behind the rubble blocking his path. Harry stepped back slightly, what is on the other side of this trash? The radio noise got louder now, loud enough to echo around the enclosed walls around him. The thing was now directly on the other side of the rubble, but out of sight. The shuffling stopped, and the banging started. Bits of rubble and trash rolled down the blockage, dust rising from the disturbed blockage. Harry did not want to wait and see what was on the other side of the mound. He snatched the paper up from the floor and ran. He ran as fast as his legs took him, his heavy footsteps echoing around him as well as the radio. He flew out from the alley, opened the gate, closed it behind him and sprinted up the street, garages passing him on either side. The radio sound dyed down with every step, to a complete silence once Harry reached the street.

Harry put his hands on his knees. He had not run like that in a while, he was quite unfit and gasping for air. The thought of still being in that alley disturbed him and blocked the whole ordeal out of his mind. He leaned against the cold concrete of a nearby garage and looked at his hand. The piece of paper was clutched so tightly his knuckles were white. He unrolled the paper. His heart raced as he could clearly see Cheryl had drawn on this piece of paper, with her favourite colour, red.

"To School."

That's all it said. Harry flipped over the paper a couple of times, expecting there to be more. It was Cheryl's handwriting, written in big block letters across the large piece of paper. Why was Cheryl doing this? Why couldn't she just come and find me so we can get out of here? Thought's raced through Harry's head and this strange town was getting stranger by the second. He pulled out his map to find the school.

He looked again at where he was. He was at the edge of the town, towards the bottom of the map. He pulled out his red marker from his top pocket and circled his location, outside the diner. He could see the long line of houses he now stood in front of and the long line of garages behind him. He found it, Midwich Elementary School. The school was located further up, towards the top of Silent Hill, before the bridge. The town was easily traversable, a basic block layout similar to most towns in the area. All he needed to do was follow the main road up to the school.

He folded the map and piece of paper and put them back in his pocket. Taking a deep breath and clasping the gun tightly in his hand, he set off down the road and into the fog.

He had loved Cheryl as if she was his own flesh and blood. If his wife could see him now, she would be so angry. I'm so sorry, Jodie. He could feel himself welling up, but he needed to keep his calm and find his daughter. His thoughts took him back to that day, when they found the baby on the side of the road. So helpless and wailing with neglect, Jodie picked her up and took her home. Harry and his wife named her Cheryl and loved her as much as any parent would. Jodie was so good with her.

How did he end up in this mess? He tried to think of the crash but it was hazy at best. He must have hit his head hard in the collision. He scratched his head. Cybil overtaking him, the headlights, Cheryl doodling in her sketchbook. But why did he crash. He was distracted. By why? The police motorbike entered his mind again, but this time riderless. And wrecked. Harry remembered. The bike had overtaken him, Cybil riding it. And further on down the road he saw the bike wrecked, wrapped around the road barriers. He remembers turning in his seat to look at the crash, looking in the mirror to get a glimpse of a fallen rider. And then the girl... in his headlights.

"Whoaaa!" Harry shouted, as his foot left the road entirely. He had not been looking, lost in thought as he almost took a step off what seemed like a bottomless cliff. He looked around and a chill ran up his spine. It was as if ten metres of the world had disappeared. What seemed like a chasm has completely destroyed the street ahead. The tarmac bent and cracked leading into the pit. Houses half falling into it along either side of the street. How could this happen? It was impossible! Harry stepped back, vertigo and confusion setting in. When he thought the town could not get any stranger, it had. He couldn't look at it any longer and hurried away, down the same path he had come from. He would have to go around, join the other main road at the intersection and work his way upwards.

Harry passed the row of garages, hairs standing on his neck as he looked into the fog, thinking of the alley. He walked past the diner where he had met Cybil. He made his way up the path towards the main road.

Harry stood in disbelief, jaw wide open. The same had happened on the other side of the diner. A huge, impossible chasm blocked his way. A car was teetering slightly into the chasm from the road and houses on either side split in half where the chasm began. His fear turned to anger and he saw red. Grunting, he gave the car's trunk and almighty thud, hurting his fist on the freezing cold metal. The car lurched and bumped into the chasm. It was a site to behold, a car falling off the edge of a mysterious cliff. Harry panted and waited for the crash of the car below, but it never came. What the hell is going on?

Harry took out his map again, his shaking hands making it difficult to see. He got out his pen and put huge crosses on either side of the diner, where the chasms blocked his progress. He needed an alternate route. He noticed the row of houses ahead of him backed onto another alley of garages. If he could just go through a house and into the back garden, he could make his way to the main road from there. Determined, Harry stuffed the map back into his pocket and began trying doors.

Every door he tried was locked, as expected. Nobody was home to let him through and he dared not smash a window in fear of attracting any more creatures of the town. He sighed heavily and looked up into the sky, the snow fell lightly on his face and felt nice, even in the cold. He looked down the street again.

Another piece of paper!

The brightness of the paper once again stood out against the bleak background of silent hill. Harry ran in sheer anticipation and scrambled to pick up the paper. It read "Dog House".

Cheryl's writing once again. Was she helping me? Was she giving me directions to find her? Dog House? He looked up and down the street. No dog house could be seen. He ran as fast as his legs could take him up the street, back towards the diner.

There!

The red roof of a small dog house was the most welcome site he had seen in a long time. He ducked his head and looked inside.

A key! A front door key by the looks of it too! Harry grabbed it with both hands and kissed it in a moment of happiness in an otherwise unhappy place.

_Bzzzzzzzt! Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!_

Harry's face dropped. He lowered his hands slowly and reached for his gun.

That's when he heard the growling.


End file.
